A Winters Tale - KS2 Literacy

Learning Objective - KS2 Literacy

Write a piece of descriptive writing, using a wide vocabulary and figurative language.

Resources

Warm waterproof clothing, blankets and cushions to sit on, pencils, clipboards, paper, sticking tape, card, A3 card and marker pen, thesaurus, camera

Introduction

Sitting together outside as a class, think of as many winter words as you can, and have them written on a large card. Then use the thesaurus to add to the list, and ask the children to consider their five senses, and use the outdoor environment as a prompt.

Activity

Talk together and refresh prior learning on figurative language, and the use of metaphors and similes in a piece of writing. Separate the group in to twos or threes. Each group will need some card, and a piece of tape. Ask the groups to go and find one item which they think represents winter within the natural environment, that the item should be no longer than a thumbs length, and be natural.

Give each group some paper and ask them to begin a piece of writing that begins as so:

“It was winter once again. I stepped outside and I found...”

Ask the children to use a wide vocabulary and use the word bank you have made as a prompt, and to include figurative language. Their piece of writing should include a metaphor or a simile about the item they have chosen. Remind the children to use what they can see, hear, touch, and smell in the outside environment within their piece, and set a length of the piece of writing and a set time

Regroup after the set time and settle down with blankets on the cushions.

Ask the group to read aloud their work, and not reveal what their item was. See if the rest of the class can guess what their item was! Take pictures or videos to create a classroom display.

Extension

Read the work again, asking the students to alter their intonation, and see if they can change the mood of their piece. Reveal the items, and see if there were correct or incorrect guesses. As a group, use the word bank to see if other winter words can be used to describe the items.